Last Desire

5

Denisia’s lips tightened firmly.

The dinner she was invited to showed not a hint of familial affection. Not even a socially purposed dinner gathering would feel this way.

It was a torment to have a meal facing these people, who had not shown their faces in her bedroom and thus felt like strangers. Denisia shoved the food into her mouth with her fork, not knowing if it was going in through her mouth or her nose.

“By the way, Denisia, when you got up and about, Count Weigelin seemed pleased.”

The woman seated opposite smiled. It was Baroness Blanchette, who had wept upon seeing her when she first woke up.

“Pardon? Why?”

“Oh, have you forgotten?”

The Baroness spoke so nonchalantly, Denisia thought it was nothing significant, but apparently, it was.

“You were being considered to marry into their family.”

What?

“But my health is poor…”

“Yes. And even knowing about your health condition, he is willing to marry you. You should be grateful.”

From what Grace remembered, Count Weigelin was in his fifties. And that was information from five years ago.

Denisia’s memories confirmed the same. Her information was confined to her small bedroom due to her poor health.

‘I can’t judge based solely on past memories.’

Situations change in as little as six months. She tried not to misunderstand Baroness Blanchette.

“D…Does Count Weigelin have a son?”

“What? Denisia, what are you talking about? Count Weigelin has no children at all, living alone.”

The Baroness chided her for making nonsensical remarks.

“Of course, that’s why you can marry him. It’s great that he’s willing to accommodate someone with your deficiencies.”

Denisia stared blankly at her. The Baroness’s expression was serene, showing no sign of wrongdoing.

It was a statement void of any guilt for sending a young daughter to remarry an old man. Denisia felt her already slight appetite vanish completely.

She hardly noticed how the meal ended. Even after returning to her room, Denisia couldn’t easily regain her composure.

‘This is bad.’

If things continued this way, she might end up dying beside an old man seeking young women before she could repay her husband.

She didn’t have much time allotted to her to begin with. It couldn’t be wasted in such a vain manner. Denisia clenched her fists.

I need to go to my husband.

***

Not many were interested in her day-to-day life.

Out of sight, out of mind. That was the case for Denisia. She was inherently frail and seldom left her bedroom. She glanced down at her clothes.

“I won’t die in this, right?”

The thick clothes she found in the wardrobe and layered on made her look uniformly bulky. She resembled an unsightly snowman.

It seemed necessary to wear this much to avoid sudden death. Denisia gathered all the money and jewelry she could find in the room and packed them into a bag.

With a hat pulled down over her head, Denisia was unrecognizable. With her appearance somewhat comical, she stepped out the door.

The corridor was desolate. Complaining about the lack of money yet neglecting security, no one paid attention as Denisia wandered around alone.

With a wobbly walk, Denisia left the mansion. Not far away, a carriage secured by Sarah awaited.

“A carriage? Are you going out?”

“Uh, no, I have something to send.”

“Why not use a courier?”

“It’s rather bulky.”

It was fortunate that her vague excuse worked. It might have been because of the bribe she had given earlier. Denisia told the coachman the destination and sat in the carriage.

As the carriage started moving, it jolted. Denisia blankly looked around. The ride was quite uncomfortable because she had chosen a cheaper carriage, but it couldn’t be helped.

‘If I don’t use a teleportation gate, it would take days.’

A teleportation gate, a magical device that reduces travel time between domains, was installed outside the domain. Although accessible to anyone, the cost was prohibitive. Denisia had scraped together all her money and it was just enough for one trip.

‘Well, it’s fortunate I managed to gather this much.’

She sighed deeply and looked out the window. The carriage was leaving the bustling area and heading towards the city walls.

As the carriage reached the teleportation circle, the central device flashed. With a blinding light, the outside scenery began to warp. Tall, pointed trees and grayish grass stood out.

The cold seeping through the carriage made Denisia sniffle. The familiar scenery evoked a sense of longing in her.

This was the place. Denisia nodded to herself.

Steep spires and sturdy walls. It might seem cold and unwelcoming, but once inside the walls, it was warmer and more vibrant than expected…

“Huh?”

Arriving at the Haberfeld dominion, Denisia’s mouth fell open.

The scenery remained the same. However, the lively and warm streets bustling with people were gone, replaced by a gloomy atmosphere that swept the desolate streets.

“We’ve arrived.”

Even after reaching the destination, Denisia couldn’t shake off her unease. As she gave the coachman the remaining money, she blankly stared around.

The mournful sound of a horse whipped in the silent street echoed sadly.

Now, she had no money to return.

Denisia looked up at the tall fortress before her. Despite the familiar sight, she couldn’t shake off her mixed feelings.